As we savor the Labor Day weekend, let’s ponder summertime real estate in Orange County — surprisingly robust after what was seen as a sluggish spring.

And it’s not the selling that’s most noteworthy as of late. It’s the building.

Orange County construction jobs are at a two-year high — and the job growth that created such a turnabout made this place the nation’s third-hottest market for construction jobs.

Analysis of federal employment data by the Associated General Contractors of America shows Orange County added 3,800 construction jobs in the year ended in July, a 6 percent boost to 71,200 workers in various local building trades. Only Chicago (12,900 jobs, 11 percent) and Houston (7,200 jobs, 4 percent) added more builder types in the year ended in July.

Our review of state Employment Development Dept. data for Orange County shows overall construction employment at a two-year high. Yet, it’s still 38,500 workers — 35 percent — off the cyclical peak.

Bosses for specialty trade contractors were hiring, adding 3,200 jobs in a year to 49,700 positions in July. (That’s still off 26,500 — 35 percent — from the peak.) Heavy and civil engineering construction firms employed 7,000 in July. That is up 600 vs. a year ago but 2,100 — 23 percent — down from the pinnacle. Jobs in “construction of buildings” totaled 15,200 in July. That’s flat vs. a year ago but 9,900 — or 39 percent — off the top.

AGCA’s analysis additionally notes the rarity of Orange County construction boost. Construction employment increased in just 136 out of 337 metropolitan areas in year ended July; declined in 148 and stayed level in 53. Largest job losses were in Atlanta (8,300 jobs lost or 9 percent); New York City (6,600 jobs, 6 percent); Los Angeles (5,500 jobs, 5 percent); and Las Vegas (5,400 jobs, 12 percent.)

Says AGCA’s Ken Simonson: “Even as we are beginning to experience a modest increase in private sector construction activity, public construction budgets are contracting … The big worry for construction workers is that private demand will again slip while governments continue to cut back on infrastructure investments.”

Clearly, it doesn’t hurt the construction trades that Orange County developers have pulled more than double the permits for new housing in 2011’s first seven months vs. 2010. Orange County remains a rare bright spot in California home construction.

According to Construction Industry Research Board stats, Orange County developers in the first seven months of 2011 pulled permits for 3,369 units – up 146 percent from a year ago. Compare that to statewide trends: permits for 25,304 total units, down 2 percent vs. first seven months of 2010.

Bryan Starr, chief executive of the Orange County Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California: “This region continues to be a desirable place to live and the demand for new housing here does exist. Increased affordability and record low mortgage rates make this an ideal time to buy a new home.”

Yet summer started off a bit cooler for local developers. In July in Orange County, 136 permits were pulled – down 33 percent from July 2010. That trend continued statewide: Permits were pulled for 2,248 housing units in July, down 45 percent from a year ago and slowest month since January 2009. (Note: CIRB has dropped its 2011 forecast of statewide permitting to 46,700 total units – down from 51,000. If that’s correct, this year would end up just a tad ahead of 2010’s 44,762 permits.)

Builders are building because buyers are buying a bit. Early August results hint that the Orange County homebuying slump — sixth consecutive months of year-over-year sales declines, and a drop that extends to 12 of the last 13 months — may be ending.

DataQuick’s Orange County homebuying report for the 22 business days ending August 10 – the latest numbers — Orange County’s real estate market show total sales of 2,593 residences closed in the latest period — that is up 1.7 percent vs. a year ago. Median selling price for all residences of $437,000 – that is off 0.7 percent vs. a year ago.

The recent sales boost is powered by builders. New homes sales were up 48 percent from a year ago and carved out 7 percent of all residences sold in the period vs. 5 percent a year ago. (Sobering note: From 1988-2010, builders did 14 percent of the Orange County homeselling.)

Amid this boomlet, came news that the spring was perhaps not as drab as once thought. S&P/Case-Shiller home-price indexes — a tad laggardly in reporting — show home values in Los Angeles and Orange counties up for the third consecutive month back in June.

The report showed LA/OC prices up 0.35 percent vs. May. Prices rose from May in 19 of the 20 regions covered by S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. LA/OC’s third month-to-month increase made the region one of 12 among S&P’s 20 market tracked with such a streak.

It’s by no means any pricing surge. Local prices were still down 3.42 percent vs. a year ago — the seventh consecutive decline by this measure. And LA/OC prices are still off 38 percent vs. the 2006 peak!

Plus, there’s the likes Michael Lea, director of McMillin Center for Real Estate at San Diego State. He doesn’t think the recent upswing in the region’s housing markets will last.

“Declining consumer sentiment, sluggish employment and wage growth, and a large backlog of distressed properties all suggest treading water at best,” he said.

Jonathan Lansner has been the Orange County Register's business columnist since 1997 and has been part of the newspaper's coverage of the local business scene since 1986. He is a native New Yorker who is a past national president of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Jon lives in Trabuco Canyon -- yes, a homeowner -- and when he's not fiddling with his trusty spreadsheet at work you can likely find him rooting for his beloved Anaheim Ducks or umpiring local lacrosse games.